Palmerston Forts Society The Redan

ST. HELENS FORT, David Moore

The defence of the anchorage at St. This fort is part of the defences of the isle St. Helens Fort Helens was not originally included in of wight and is only connected with 2004 the plans of the 1860 Commission. Spithead by the circumstance that the (photo Paul same contractor (Mr. Leather) is Charnaud) In 1863 the Defence Committee, engaged upon it.2 having determined that there was no suitable site for for an earthwork at St. In 1865 the defence Committee Helens, approved of a masonry approved the report of the casemated work for nine guns, to be Fortifications Committee on 11 June placed on the beach in front of St. 1865 relative to the sites of the Helens Point.1 proposed forts on Spit Bank and Ryde Sand and approved the design In 1864, preliminary trials at submitted by Lieut-Colonel Jervois for Stourbridge, having led to the those forts. conclusion that a foundation for a fort could not be obtained, the Secretary of In February 1867 designs for forts at State for War appointed a Special Spit Bank, Ryde Sand and St. Helens Committee to consider whether any were approved each with one tier of alterations in the original plan for the casemates, iron plated on the seaward defence of Spithead were advisable, side and granite faced covering the consequent of the abandonment of the land side. The suggested armament work on that shoal. It proposed a small was fifteen guns in casemates. Each fort on Ryde Sand 1,200 yards south of fort was to carry two turrets for the two Sturbridge Shoal. of the most powerful guns on top.3

The contractor is now busy laying, or The forts at Ryde Sand and St. Helens preparing to lay, the foundations of the were commenced. St. Helens Fort was forts on Horse and Nomans Sands. the begun on a spit of land projecting same contractor is employed on the eastward from Bembridge Point. A ring foundations of a fort which is to be built of iron caissons filled with concrete of St Helen's Point in the Isle of Wight, was laid on the soft blue clay of the near the entrance to Brading Haven. shoal and a structure 150 feet in

No. 61 June 2004 19 The Redan Palmerston Forts Society

diameter built as a foundation. The has been dredged out, and the space sand within the ring was excavated thus excavated filled with concrete; this and filled with concrete. The bed of concrete is 10 feet thick, and its foundations were nearly complete by surface is 2 feet above low water 1867 and walls of granite were added ordinary spring tides. to form the superstructure, supplemented with concrete. The outer wall of the basement is completed. The superstructure will be of In August 1867 the engineer engaged iron on the outer half of the fort where for the project, Mr Hawkshaw, exposed to fire from ships, and of submitted a letter to the Defence granite towards the land; it will be Committee in which he explained the armed with six heavy guns to seaward, difficulty obtaining a suitable and four lighter guns behind on the foundation for the fort proposed on land face. It is well-designed as to Ryde Sand. The Committee considered permanency and stability, and the the letter and were of the opinion that arrangements for the service of the in the event of it being impracticable guns are satisfactory. to have a fort on Ryde Sand, it was essential to increase the fire from the The calculations of the probable cost of shore of the Isle of Wight, by adding the iron are based on the same data as some of the most powerful guns to the those for the other Spithead forts, and site at Puckpool. In November 1867 the the remarks on the Committee received more apply equally to this work. This work unfavourable reports from Hawkshaw was not contemplated in 1862, but in regarding the impracticability of the the Schedule for that year the sum of foundations and recommended the £87,0001. was inserted for batteries at abandonment of the fort on Ryde Puckpool and St. Helen’s Point. In 1863 Sand. In November 1868 the combined it decided to substitute a work on the Defence and Fortifications Committees shoal for that on shore, and the same decided that the forts at Spit Bank and amount was in subsequent Schedules, St. Helens needed to be provided with till 1867, when it was increased to armour only on the side exposed to £145,000. The sum expended to the powerful fire, in the case of St. Helens 30th June, 1868, amounted to £47,779. this was one third of the fort. They also The further sum required amounts to considered whether a superstructure of £70,332., that is, for the masonry three turrets, each for two guns should £41,358., and for the iron £28,974:, be substituted at St. Helens for the making an estimate of the total cost of casemated plan approved, but the work, when completed, without decided that the casemated plan shields, £118,111. and including four should be adhered to.4 shields, estimated at £5,2001., £123,311.5 The 1869 Committee reporting on the construction, condition and cost of the Although the 1869 Committee thought defences erected under the 1860 Royal that the fort was “well designed as to Commission described the work on permanency and stability,” the the fort at St. Helens so far thus: foundations began to settle unevenly so that the work began to tilt. To This fort is placed on the outer edge of remedy the situation it was decided to the shoal, where the sand is nearly keep the first floor superstructure on uncovered at low water spring tides. the centre of the foundations, resulting The foundations for the work are formed in St Helens Fort having a by a ring of iron caissons sunk to an superstructure offset from the centre of average depth of 25 feet 6 inches the basement level and the final form below the surface of the shoal, passing of the fort was not circular as through sand and shingle, and 5 feet proposed. into the clay. Within this ring the sand

20 No. 61 June 2004 Palmerston Forts Society The Redan

St. Helens Fort Gun Floor Plan 1879

I H Gun No.2

G A

F D B

Gun No.1 Gun No.3

K K

Soldiers' N.C.O.s J Quarters Room J L L E C

A Stairs to Roof E Shell Lift no.3 I Cartridge Lift no.2 Gun No.1 & 3 B General lift F Cartridge Lift no.3 J Davit 10-inch R.M.L. 18-tons C Shell Lift no.1 G Shell Recess K Turntable winch Gun No.2 D Cartridge Lift no.1 H Shell Lift no.2 L Shell Hatch 12.5-inch R.M.L. 38-tons In May 1870 the Defence Committee, In 1873 the Defence Committee having already received further changed its mind, reverting to the observations on the uneven settlement decision of May 1870 authorizing a of the foundations of St. Helens Fort turret for two guns with a gun on which dictated the advisability of Moncrieff carriage on each side on top keeping the heavier portion of the of St. Helens Fort. It had been found superstructure more on the centre of that the blast of the turret guns, which the foundations, decided to place two had been designed to fire over the heavy guns in a turret, with a gun on open Moncrieff emplacements, was so Moncrieff mountings on each side, violent as to be a danger to the instead of the proposal of having four Moncrieff pits. The Committee guns in iron plated casemates. They approved that the lower guns should also decided to reduce the number of be mounted on turntables in light guns in the rear of the work, casemates over which the turret guns bearing on the adjacent shore, from six could fire. to four pieces. this new design it was pointed out would give a more The proposal for the whole lower gun concentrated fire on St. Helens floor above the basement level was anchorage.6 abandoned and the two seaward guns, 10-inch 18-ton R.M.L.s, on each flank were to be fitted on turntables with two ports for each gun.

No. 61 June 2004 21 The Redan Palmerston Forts Society

St. Helens Fort Basement Plan 1879

C C C C C C

C I H C D

S K J C A1 B E W S X A

O P T Y G U F

S S M

Z N L V

Q

R

A Larder H S.S.No.2 No.2 gun O Landing stage V Shell Lift No.1 B Coal I S.S.No.2 No.2 gun P Pier W Cartridge Lift No.2 C Store J S.S.No.2 No.2 gun Q Gallery X Shell Lift No.2 D Lamp Room K Ammunition Passage R Latrine Y Cartridge Lift No.3 E C.S.No.2 No.2 gun L Artillery Store S Lamp Passage Z Shell Lift No.3 F C.S.No.1 No.1 gun M S.S.No.1 T General Lift A1 Pump Room G C.S.No.3 No. 3 gun N S.S.No.3 U Cartridge Lift No.1

In 1878 the Committee, having The two RML guns were subsequently received further reports on the changed to two 40pr RBL guns on settlement of the foundations at St. sliding carriages.7 Helens, decided that it was inadvisable to to proceed with the In July 1880 the Committee reported turret. The two 18-ton guns in that the advanced Fort at St. Helens casemates were, however, being was complete but awaiting it's heavier mounted. To keep the weight over the armament. central caissons the whole of the gun floor was shifted rearward and there The proposed armament was installed was now no room for the turrets. in 1880 but the two 40pr. R.B.L.s Instead of the turret they intended to flank the rear entrance recommended one heavy gun being were not fitted and the casemates fitted in the centre face firing through were later used as accommodation an iron shield. The armament was instead. approved as being : In 1882 it was decided that an 1 x 38-ton gun (chambered) auxiliary armament of QF guns be 2 x 18-ton guns added to the Spithead Forts and for St. 4 x medium RMl guns Helens this was to consist of 5 machine the whole of the heavy guns bearing guns. on St. Helens anchorage.

22 No. 61 June 2004 Palmerston Forts Society The Redan

In 1884 the Royal Artillery and Royal Armour Engineers Work Committee replied to a As the fort required an extended question from the Director of Artillery. lateral fire of about 120it was fitted He had asked if the proposed machine with two of its guns on turntables and guns for St. Helens were intended to one in a straight face. Only one other replace the 2 x 40pr RBL guns position received this type of originally recommended. They mounting, Sliema Point Battery in answered that two 6pr QF guns should Malta, which held two larger 38ton be substituted for the two 40pr RBL guns on turntables instead of 18ton guns for the casemates and three guns. The general arrangement for the machine guns should be provided for armour is shown in the plan. Two gun the embrasures of the heavy guns. ports are provided in each armoured front. the gun is mounted on an The matter of auxiliary armament for ordinary casemate carriage and the sea forts was still under discussion platform and fires through 60 out of in 1885. each port, the turntable being merely used to transfer the gun from one port An armament return of 1886 lists for St. to the other. The shield for the Helens Fort turntables consists of a curved front of Mounted 3 x 5-inch plates and a frame 1ft 4in Central Battery 1 x 12.5-inch RML deep. That for the straight front consists Turntables 2 x 10-inch RML of 3 x 8-inch plates. Proposed in addition 2 x 6pr QF

No. 61 June 2004 23 The Redan Palmerston Forts Society

St. Helens Fort 2004 (photo Paul Charnaud)

The front protection is on much the Re-Armament same principle as that of the shields The Stanhope Committee, looking into provided for the other Spithead forts the defences of in 1887, only it is of necessity circular in plan. considered the purpose of St. Helens in the defence of the channel from Nab The armour, which is usually of two Tower to the two large Spithead sea thicknesses of 9-inch plate, or in three forts of Horse Sand and No Man’s Land. of 6-inch is at St. Helens and Sliema It considered the main weakness of the Point Batteries in three thicknesses of defence of Portsmouth to be on this 5-inch plate. The roof structure is of eastern side where an ironclad, armed strong girders, with arch plating with guns that had a range of 7000 between them, and carries some 6ft of yards, could anchor in sight of the sea concrete, and is thoroughly forts with relative impunity in order to 'bombproof’. The turntable consists of a bombard the Dockyard. St. Helens, very stiff circular frame, 23 feet in because of its foundations, could not diameter, and is strong enough to bear take heavier guns than 6-inch. and it the weight and shock of the gun when would only take two of these. Puckpool fired in any position of training. Battery was the only other site available in this neighbourhood. The It revolves on a set of conical rollers Committee therefore proposed to running in a live ring under the edge replace the guns in these two batteries of the table, and is held in position by with two 9.2-inch B.L. and four 5-inch a central spindle which passes into a B.L. guns.9 massive casting, strongly bolted down. The table is locked by a set of tumbler In 1893 no provision had yet been stops when the gun is in position for made for the two proposed 6pr QF firing. The turntable can be lifted guns on St. Helens. bodily, without dismantling the gun, for purposes of inspection and In 1895 the 2 x 6prs were reported as cleaning.8 mounted.

24 No. 61 June 2004 Palmerston Forts Society The Redan

In 1898 it was proposed to mount two Armament Summary 6-inch BL Mk VII guns on St. Helens 1867 - Proposed Fort to replace the three RML guns. 4 x 12-inch, 6 x 10-inch , 4 x 7-inch R.M.L.s This was approved but not carried out. 1893 - Mounted In 1915 St. Helens Fort became the 1 x 12.5-inch R.M.L. Mk II examination battery of St. Helens Road 2 x 10-inch R.M.L. and two 12pr.s and two searchlights 1899 - Mounted were fitted. These were dismounted in 1 x 12.5-inch 2 x 10-inch R.M.L.s, 2 x 6pr. 1918 but not removed until 1927. The QF fort was re-activated in 1940 to provide 1895-1899 searchlight illumination. It remained 2 x 6pr. Q.F. Hotchkiss in Military hands until sold and 1906 - Mounted - nil converted as a private residence in 1916 - 27 Mounted 2 x 12pr. QF 1983. It was put on the market again WWII 1 x 40mm Bofors in 2003. Sources Description 1. Précis of Correspondence Relating to The fort consists of a gun floor for three the Defences of Portsmouth and the guns, two of which are mounted on Isle of Wight, prior to 1893. Page 7. turntables each to fire through one of 2. Report of the Special Committee two gun ports. Adjacent to each of the appointed by the Secretary of state 10-inch casemates is a winch room for for War to consider the alterations turning the turntable. The height of the requisite in the original plan for the gun floor of the central casemate for defence of Spithead in consequence the main 12.5-inch RML is 15ft 6in of the abandonment of the work on above High Water Mark while that of the Sturbridge. 1864 the two smaller 10-inch casemates are 3. Précis : op cit : page 9 14ft 3in above HWM. Beneath the gun 4. Ibid : page 10 floor is.a basement level with stores 5. Report of the Committee Appointed and magazines. Two shell and two to Enquire into the Construction, cartridge stores were provided for the Condition and Cost of Fortifications 12.5-inch RML gun holding 150 shells erected in 30, 31 Victoria Statutes and 90 cartridges. Four shell and four together with minutes of evidence - cartridge stores were provided for the 1868. 10-inch RML guns holding 480 shells 6. Précis of Correspondence : page 10 and 255 cartridges. Lifts for shells and 7. Ibid : page 15 for cartridges were provided from the 8. The Development of Iron Armour up basement level to the gun floors. to 1882 Adapted form a lecture by Colonel Inglis CB RE The entrance to the fort is at the rear, 9. Report of a Consultative Committee at basement level. At the centre of this appointed by the Secretary of State floor is the pump room for the well for War to consider with him the which was bored to a depth of 171 plans proposed for the fortification feet. and armament of our military and mercantile ports and the relative Accommodation was in two rooms at importance and approximate cost of the rear of the gun floor. The room to the works and armaments necessary the left of the entrance was for 5 men for the defence of these stations whilst that to the right was for NCOs. together with minutes of evidence. In war time more accommodation London 1887. would be provided by hammocks.

No. 61 June 2004 25